


Tree Trouble

by soprana



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, my cat ran away and oops he's in your apartment au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 22:33:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16983033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soprana/pseuds/soprana
Summary: Happy had a good sense of people. Natsu knew because the cat hissed at Gray the first day meeting him.





	Tree Trouble

“Happy! Happy, wait!”

There was a scream and a crash of glass, followed by a shout of indignation and rapid apologies.

“Shoot! Sorry, Ms. Milk Sandwich! Heh, Merry Christmas!” A pink haired man blurted as he gingerly maneuvered around the shards of, what once was, a glass sculpture of roses and thorns, yelping as the old woman swung her cane at his head.

“It’s _Milkovich_ and control that darn cat of yours, young man!” The woman hollered with a glint of deep irritation.

“I’ll be telling Gray about this, Natsu!” She added with a threatening shake of her walking stick.

The man waved his hand absently as he darted down the hall after his rampant feline. “Yeah, and I’ll send him flying before he can strip himself of his shirt!”

Turn after turn, Natsu felt the anxiety rise with every minute his blue cat remained out of his sight. If given the chance, Happy would make it all the way to downtown Magnolia’s fish market. It happened before, sadly.

Scouring the halls proved fruitless, and Natsu resorted to calling out the feline’s name, disturbing more residents than necessary. He risked the landlady throwing him out on the street, but he couldn’t lose his little buddy. He raised that cat from a kitten. That cat didn’t like anybody beyond himself and his little sister, Wendy.

Natsu was about to turn to the streets in fear that Happy had already escaped the complex when a crash and a cry of surprise echoed from down the hall. Perking up, the man’s feet already pounded to the source, heart in his throat.

The last door of the third floor was propped open with a shimmering red, high heeled shoe. His senses were enveloped in the scents of balsam, peppermint, and sugar as he neared. The warm and welcoming glow of lights illuminated the pink apartment, the sounds of soft Christmas music drawling from the depths.

Once he was near, he was about to knock when a familiar meow had him darting in with little manners or propriety. The sight before him froze his body solid.

The blonde woman standing before him took his breath away. The sunlight shone through her window and illuminated her golden thread hair like priceless silk.

The warm, melted chocolate eyes held such a tender expression that left his heart burning and racing. Her smile was celestial, wiping his mind of anything but questions about her and how he couldn’t have met her before.

Cradled in her arms like a baby was the blue cat that had caused him so much hassle before. The git was purring and snuggling into her chest and neck like he was the most innocent and cuddliest fluffy ball in the world.

Natsu knew he was not.

Happy was a lazy mastermind of tricks and fish cravings.

The woman was speaking to the feline, her voice tender and instantly mesmerizing to Natsu.

“-coming in here and knocking down my tree. I worked hard on that, you know!” She cooed to the pet, giggling as Happy played with her fingers, tail swaying happily at her attention.

“Dumb cat. You almost got squashed by it too! You would have been one flat, blue cat.” She continued, smiling as her fingers escaped the soft furry paws. “Now, why are you here on Christmas Eve? I bet you have some family looking for you.”

The spell was broken, and Natsu stepped forward with a raspy grumble of, “Happy.”

The blonde jumped slightly, turning to stare with wide eyes. The blue troublemaker gave a happy meow once he saw Natsu, but remained lazily sprawled in the busty blonde’s arms.

She looked ready to scream and kick him out of her apartment, but as she surveyed his unruly hair and tired eyes, a connection was made.

“O-Oh, is he your cat?” She stuttered, brown eyes taking him in, a pink hue to her cheeks.

Natsu was no better, his throat dry and his mind rambling incomplete sentences for him to say. Her kind smile blew any anger he had at his cat away. Even as the pink haired man saw the demolished tree and broken ornaments that speckled her polished wood floor.

“Y-Yeah. That’s my crazy cat, Happy.” Natsu introduced with a scathing glare to the animal.

“I am so sorry about your tree. I-I can pay-” He began, already dreading when she demanded payment for the ruined decorations. He already knew he was in the doghouse with Ms. Mill Linch’s glass sculpture.

The blonde blinked before laughing and shaking her head. “Oh, no! I don’t want your money. I’m just glad it didn’t squash him. It was a hassle dragging it up the stairs.” She absently stroked Happy’s head.

The man felt his lips quirk as his cat purred in delight and snuggled closer. Happy had a good sense of people. Natsu knew because the cat hissed at Gray the first day meeting him. The feline also knew to growl at Gajeel. This was the warmest reaction Natsu ever saw from the fluff ball.

After a moment, she awkwardly cleared her throat. “Uh, I g-guess you want him back then?” She asked softly, stepping closer and offering Happy with gentle arms.

Natsu smiled and took the cat with less grace, resting him on his shoulder and ignoring the cat’s pitiful yowl with black eyes longingly locked on the woman.

“Thanks. I owe ya one.” He said, turning to bolt from the apartment before he burned to a crispy wick in embarrassment.

He got a few steps to the door when Happy dug his claws into his shirt and shoulder with a low hiss. Natsu pursed his lips as clawed hind legs pushed into his muscles and his scarf was the next victim.

“Oi, what is your problem-” He began turning around to catch the cat before it darted over his shoulder.

His onyx eyes locked on to the woman again, taking in her curved figure and her beautiful features. Her back was turned, surveying the fallen tree with a dismal expression. There was an obvious struggle in her mind to just leave the tree where it fell and forget it.

Conscience winning in a landslide, Natsu sighed and turned, approaching her once more with Happy struggling in his grip. It was as if she had animal magnetism or something.

“Here, let me help you.” He offered, plopping Happy down and approaching the tree, easily lifting it back up by himself. She squeaked and moved to help, not really changing that the tree wasn’t heavy for him.

“Thank you.” She breathed, flinching when a broken glass ball fell and shattered on the floor.

Natsu grimaced, stepping back to take in the tree with broken candy canes and shattered glass balls.

“Good Mavis, I am so sorry.” He whined, his lip pouting. Really, what a horrible thing to happen on Christmas Eve: some random cat demolishes a tree and is followed by a random man intruding. She must be wondering what karma hell she fell into.

Her laugh surprised him most of all.

“No, no! That was the most exciting thing to happen to me all week! Another story to tell, I suppose.” She giggled, turning to him with a radiant smile. “I never liked those ornaments anyway. Found them at a thrift store, of all things.”

Natsu grinned at her humor, shrugging. “Sure, but I can’t release Happy on you when you need entertainment. He might actually break something important, then.” Seriously, his cat cost more in damages than he did!

“Happy, huh?” She hummed, picking up the feline that was rubbing on her legs with loud purrs. “A good name.” She remarked as the cat rubbed his face on her cheek.

Natsu watched as she coddled his pet once more before turning to him with curious eyes.

“Hey, um, would you like to stay for some hot chocolate? I was about to make some before my favorite Christmas movie came on.” She offered with a vivid blush, her face hiding in Happy’s fur.

“I-I mean… it’s fine if you don’t want to-” She added hastily.

Natsu was positive his stomach became lead and his heart filled with air. “Yeah! I mean-that sounds awesome.” He blurted out rather loudly, inwardly cursing at his enthusiasm.

The woman didn’t seem bothered by his excitement. She smiled, carrying Happy with her to her small kitchenette.

“Oh, I’m Lucy, by the way. I just moved in about two weeks ago.” She introduced shyly, letting Happy rest on her counter as she prepared two mugs.

Lucy, huh? Natsu liked that name. He liked her even more, though.

“Nice to meet cha. I’m Natsu!” He greeted, meeting her gaze with a toothy grin.

She opened the packets of cocoa, pausing to meet his gaze with a smile. “Natsu? My landlady warned me about you.” She laughed, shaking her head.

Natsu wrinkled his nose and shrugged. “Eh, my reputation is modestly tarnished…no thanks to this guy.” He gestured to the lazing cat.

Lucy giggled again, reaching out and stroking the blue fur. Happy purred again, stretching and licking her fingers affectionately.

The man watched with awe and knew he couldn’t keep away from her now. His cat was just as smitten as him. There was something about this Lucy woman that ensnared them like willing victims.

Natsu thought about the circumstances that allowed him to meet this amazing blonde woman as they watched _The Year Without A Santa Claus_ and cleaned the left over mess beneath the tree.

It took a few hours, but he finally got his words together and asked if she was busy later in the week because there was a really cool bar that she had to see.

Natsu had never been so happy for his cat’s destructive tendencies. 

_Lucy always counted that day as their first date, and Natsu couldn’t argue. It had been something to remember, alright._


End file.
